Posted on 12/10/2013 2:07:08 PM PST by xjcsa
WATERLOO | Gail Boliver is a Republican who doesn't go to tea parties.
But he wants to go to Washington as northeastern Iowa's next member of Congress.
He's the latest of a host of individuals, nine in all, seeking to succeed U.S. 1st Dist. Rep. Bruce Braley, who's running for the Senate.
Boliver, a Marshalltown attorney, wants the federal government to get its financial house in order, let business create jobs and stay out of people's bedrooms.
"As a Republican I stand for government that's not intrusive in business or in my personal life. Or in anyone's personal life," he said in announcing his candidacy this past week.
"The reason I'm running right now is to offer voters a different Republican candidate," Boliver said.
"I realize there are three other candidates," he said — Dubuque and Cedar Rapids businessmen Rod Blum and Steven Rathje and State Rep. Walt Rogers of Cedar Falls. "But they seem to have very similar profiles in terms of issues they present.
"I would agree the largest threat against our country right now is our budget deficit and our ballooning debt ceiling," Boliver said. "But I would vary from the others and say in the social area I'm different."
The other Republican candidates "seem to be not too interested in immigration. I am," he said. He supports an immigration bill passed by the Senate in June.
"I'm a little ashamed the House has not taken that up, passed it and moved on," Boliver said. "Because there are at least 11 million people in this country that have come one way or another. Some of those now have had the opportunity to legalize. Others haven't. Those people deserve some system we can put together to bring them in, and legally. The Senate bill did that." He said it also would strengthen border security.
"There is a group of Republicans that seem to be objecting to immigration fundamentally," he said. "What you typically hear is, 'We don't want to grant them amnesty.' But they're here. So are you going to send half that number, 5 million, home? It's not practical.
"Frankly we need the workers," he said, noting the ratio of workers to retirees is expected to decline from 6-1 or 7-1 now to about roughly 2-1 in coming years.
"I think that's economically unsustainable," Boliver said. "Five years from now, we won't have this conversation because we're going be looking for people to do unskilled jobs. And frankly that's how immigrants come in. Somebody needs to do those jobs."
He'd try to find "common ground on a variety of issues," he said. "Immigration, one. Debt's the other." He said expenses, including entitlements, and revenues need to be addressed.
He believes the Affordable Care Act is here to stay and should be fixed, not defunded or repealed.
On social issues, he said, "Each of of the candidate says, 'I believe in life.' So do I. Everybody believes in life. That's not the question, though. The question is if somebody has a belief that they want another alternative, do they have it? I say yes. Because government is not a religion. Government manages society. And those values are something we instill through other mechanisms. Not through government."
He favors retraining displaced manufacturing workers in higher technology jobs and reforming tax rates to allow companies to reinvest in U.S. facilities and jobs.
Boliver, a native of Newburg near Grinnell, graduated from Creighton University law school and holds bachelor's and graduate degrees from Iowa State and Arizona State universities. He served in the U.S. Air Force and Reserve and the Iowa Air National Guard.
He lost a 2002 primary to incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, whose district included Marshallown then.
Democratic 1st District U.S. House candidates include State Rep. Anesa Kajtozovic of Waterloo, former State Sen. and Iowa Utilities Board member Swati Dandekar of Marion, Cedar Rapids City Councilwoman Monica Vernon, State Rep. Pat Murphy of Dubuque, and Cedar Rapids attorney Dave O'Brien.
Primary elections are in June.
All we need is another RINO in the House.
Good old Gail sounds like someone who will be more than happy to vote with Democrats on most issues. Here’s hoping he doesn’t get a chance to do so.
And...by the way...why do people who write this tripe associate social issues with the Tea Party? Don’t they know what T.E.A. stands for?
That’s not a different Republican, that’s a Democrat.
Then why the f*** does he support the intrusive Obamacare which will log whether you keep guns at home (in your bedroom), whether you smoke (in your bedroom), whether you engage in risky sexual practices (in your bedroom)...
FURINOs.
“Frankly we need the workers,”
WHAT???!!!
That’s not a different Republican, that’s a DumbyRAT.
Lady you are not a Republican. Stop lying..
How does the Iowa primary work? Is it possible that the three conservatives split the vote and let this Rat in? Is there a way to prevent him from even running as a Republican?
Beat me to it.
Loon Alert!
Those 11 million can leave.
Plurality wins, as long as it's at least 35%. If nobody reaches 35% it goes to convention.
Is it possible that the three conservatives split the vote and let this Rat in?
Nah. This guy has zero chance.
Is there a way to prevent him from even running as a Republican?
Not really, if he collects the required signatures. But he has no chance in the primary.
Oh, good, now there are openly communist Republicans. /s
Many of us in the TEA Party care about social issues and believe you can’t separate the two.
That was no lady! That was a boy named Gail. He’s no Republican either but that seemed obvious from the story.
The pubs ARE rats..
You can see this by how they attack conservatives in “their” party.
We need a second party.
Expect the worst from Hawkeyes.
Obamacare is not intrusive??
and his name is Gail??
lol
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